Have a little Faith
by Uroki Avalon
Summary: Hiei meets a strange girl in the cemetery, then she's attending Kurama's school. What is it about her that makes him think of her all the time?
1. The girl with the whatchamacallit

Red eyes scanned the cemetery, searching amongst the graves. Where was that sound coming from? And why was it haunting him so? The youkai thought about this for a moment. Tears. That was what he was hearing. Someone was crying, but it was muffled, like they didn't want anyone to hear. If not for his superior youkai hearing, he probably wouldn't have heard it. Ah, there! Sitting huddled at the base of a large tombstone! It was a little ningen Onna. She sat with her back against the stone, knees drawn up to her chest, face buried in her arms. "Hn." So that was the source of the sound that had been plaguing him.

Suddenly the girl's head flew up. For a moment, Violet eyes stared into ruby ones. Then the girl was on her feet. Suddenly there was a full length broadsword in her right hand and a slip of paper in her left. She tossed the paper up and held the sword against it.

"KANA REITEI!!" She shouted. Lightning whipped out at the little koorime, knocking him back. He swore, leaping up into a tree and away.

Later, he went to Genkai's Temple, looking for the only one the little youkai considered a friend. He found him doing a bit of training with the leader of the Reiki Tentei, Urameshi Yusuke. He waited for them to finish, knowing Genkai would flip if he interrupted them. Not that he cared particularly. The old woman was nothing to him, but he didn't want to get his friend in trouble.

"Hello, Hiei. How nice to see you." Kurama greeted his friend, once finished with his training.

"Hn." The youkai grunted. Kurama smiled. Hiei wasn't particularly talkative, but the kitsune could tell when his friend needed to discuss something. He walked away into the woods, knowing Hiei would follow. Sure enough, when he got in far enough, the little youkai dropped down in front of him and told him about his visit to the cemetery. Then he showed him the burn from the lightning on his arm.

Kurama winced and pulled out a paste that smell strongly of aloe and applied it to the burn while Hiei described the spell she'd used. "Ofuda." The kitsune murmured as he wrapped a bandage around the fire Youkai's arm.

"What the hell is that?" Hiei asked irritably. Kurama chuckled. Hiei glared at him. " Just explain it to me, Fox."

"The Ofuda are Chinese elemental charms inscribed on slips of paper and powered by one's own spirit. Usually unsealed by a staff, wand or, in this case, sword." Kurama explained. Hiei nodded.

"In any case, Hiei, we should report this to Koenma."

"Hn."

The next day, the irascible fire youkai went looking for his friend at Meiou High school. As he waited he noticed a familiar face. Sitting on the wall nearby was the brown-haired ningen onna, wearing the dark red uniform of Meiou High. Her hair was long, almost as long as Kurama's, and she had glasses on now.

Her violet eyes stood out starkly as she looked up at the sky. Her skin was not quite pale, not quite tan, and her choice of footwear was black boots that came up to her knees. Visible in the small space of thigh between her skirt and her boot on her left leg was a tattoo in the image of a dragon.

"Hiei." The little youkai leapt about six feet. Then he turned and glared at the fox, who stood chuckling behind him.

"Something about the new student caught your eye, Hiei?" The red head asked, not the least bit disturbed by his friends glare of death.

"Hn." The koorime grunted. "She's the girl from the cemetery. The one with the whatchamacallits."

"Ofuda." Kurama supplied.

"Hn."

"Ah. I thought Faith had a strange aura."


	2. Spikey

Faith watched the youkai chatting with her classmate. He was older than her, but she had skipped a grade. Something about that youkai bugged her. Maybe it was the fact that he'd seen her crying. She rested her chin on her knees for a moment, remembering the day before so clearly. Her parents were fighting. Again. She hated it when they fought. And why did they have to bring her into it? She already knew the divorce and their messed up lives were her fault. Did they really have to make her feel worse about it?

She'd run to the cemetery looking for a place to hide. Then she huddled down and cried. After a while, she'd felt something. When she looked up, there he was. Their eyes locked and what she saw in his scared her, so she attacked him.

She sighed. Fighting was always her first reaction. She was too stubborn to talk things out. She jumped down from the wall and started walking home. She'd only walked about three blocks when two things happened. One: She saw a bolt of lightning hit a boy in the chest, and Two: She was grabbed by a demon. And an ugly one at that. She swore loudly, wrenching her arm out of its huge hamfist.

She reached behind her, pulling out the only Ofuda she could reach. The one she kept tucked in her hair. She threw it up and, hitting it with her sword, yelled "KANA MUNASHII!!" There was suddenly a cage around the demon, or rather, what looked like a cage. It distracted the monster long enough for her to get away and for Yusuke to defeat it with his Reigun. Then it just flickered out. Faith chuckled, pushing her glasses up on her nose. " Guess I'm still not very good with that one." She said, tucking it back into her hair.

The four demon fighters, or rather, Spirit Detectives, as they were actually called, stared at her in disbelief. She smiled at them.

"Minamino-Sempai, what an interesting hobby you have." She addressed the older student. Kurama chuckled. "I could say the same for you, Faith-chan." She shrugged and looked over at Hiei.

"Oh, ano . . . Gomenasai for attacking you yesterday. You startled me and I tend to not enjoy that."

"Hn." Was the only reply that she got from the red eyed koorime. She shrugged. "Whatever, Spikey."

The little youkai glared at her. "Call me that again and it will be your final act in the realm, understand?" She chuckled.

Kurama stepped forward. "Faith-chan, let me introduce you to my friends. "This is Jaganshi Hiei." He pointed to the red eyed koorime, or Spikey, as she had dubbed him in her head. "Urameshi Yusuke." The one with the Reigun. "and Kuwabara Kazuma." An idiotic looking redhead.

Faith bowed to them all, then looked at her watch. "Ahh! I'm going to be late! Oh no! Gomenasai for running off like this, Minamino-sempai, but I really need to go!" She bolted away, leaving Kurama chuckling and Hiei confused.


	3. Home Sweet Home

-1Faith arrived home to her parents yelling. Apparently, her baby brother had spilled all her mother's perfume and her fathers cologne and mixed them together in the carpet. Her parents stood facing each other in the living room, screaming their heads off at each other. The baby was nearly drowning them both out.

Faith walked over and picked up the baby. He smelled bad, he was wet and hungry. He was also sick. _Goddamnit! That's it. He'd be better off in a foster home than here. At least he'd be changed and fed._

She took him to her room, bathed him in the sink of her bathroom, dressed him and packed a few things. Hooking the diaper bag over her shoulder, she went back out. Her parents were still yelling.

"Mom? Dad?" She tried to get their attention. Nothing.

"Mom. Dad." She tried again. Still nothing.

"MOM! DAD!" They looked at her.

"I'm taking the baby out for a bit." She told them.

"Faith, tell your father to stop acting like a child."

"Faith, tell your mother to stop being a bitch."

"Maybe I wouldn't be such a bitch if you came home before eleven!"

"Maybe I'd come home earlier if you cooked once in a while!"

Faith just left. She wasn't getting involved her parents fights. Once outside she smiled down at the baby in her eyes.

"Wanna get some McDonalds, Chibi-chan?" The baby giggled, blinking his big brown eyes at her. She smiled. Sometimes she felt like this baby was the only good left in the world.

Just then she heard someone calling her name. She turned to see a tall redhead walking towards her with a much shorter brunette beside him.

"Hey, Minamino-Sempai. Hi, Spikey." She greeted the pair.

"Hn." Hiei grunted.

"Faith-chan, Is that your Otouto?" Kurama asked.

"Hai. Minamino-Sempai."

"Faith-chan, please call me Shuichi. I'd prefer it."

"Ano . . . . Okay. Shuichi-Sempai."

The redhead smiled. Hiei, however, had never seen a ningen baby up close before and was trying to peer at it without being noticed. Faith knelt in front of him and held the baby out so he could look. Hiei looked at her, puzzled. Wasn't she afraid he'd hurt him?

"Go on, Hiei. You can hold him if you want."

"I . . . .uh . . ." He'd never touched a baby in his life, but she settled the boy's head in the crook of his elbow and cupped his hand around it's bottom. Then she brought his other hand up to cradle his head. Suddenly on odd sense of peace came over him. So this was the reason for the fuss made over babies. He looked down into the baby's eyes, identical to Faith's own.

_Beautiful_ He thought. He smiled at the infant. _He's not so bad. _Just then the baby scrunched up his face and there was a quiet poot noise. Then the smell hit him.

"Ugh. Take him." Hiei passed the child back to Faith. She laughed. "He bombed ya, ne, Spikey?"

"Hn."

She laid him down on a nearby bench and changed him, then picked him up again. Kurama smiled. She was such a good oneesan.

"Faith-chan, what's his name?" The fox asked. She looked into the boys hazel eyes and smiled. "Nobu."

Kurama chuckled." Very nice."

"Hn."

"Well, I should get him home. It's his naptime." Faith said goodbye to the two detectives and walked home.

She could feel that something was wrong before she even opened the door. Both cars were in the driveway, but it was silent. Too silent. She opened the door.

The sight that greeted her was a harsh one. Her mother lay on the floor, in a pool of blood. It was obvious she was dead. Faith glanced over. Her father lay on the floor a short distance away, blood streaming out in a pool surrounding his head.

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Japanese words used so far:

Youkai - DemonMunashii - Illusion

Ningen - HumanGomenasai - I'm very sorry

Onna - WomanSempai - An older student

Kana-PowerChibi - Baby

Reitei - LightningOtouto - Younger Brother

Kitsune - Spirit FoxNobu - Faith


	4. An issue of trust

-1"Hello 911, what's your emergency?"

That was the last thing Faith remembered. She knew she'd somehow given her name and address, and told the woman what happened. Then she'd waited for the police. That was over a month ago.

She went through a court battle and gained custody of her brother. She moved into a small apartment in uptown Tokyo. Then she dropped out of school and got a job. Her life had changed so much in so little time.

Her parents were dead. The fighting had finally gotten out of control. Her father had shot her mother, then himself. Murder suicide. That's what the police called it. Faith loved her parents very much, but didn't spend a lot of time mourning them. She had Nobu to think about, after all.

Now she sat on a couch at the library, Nobu asleep in his stroller beside her. She rarely got a chance to read anymore, so she took it when she did. She was so lost in her book she didn't notice when he sat down next to her.

"Faith?"

She jumped a mile high and let out a yelp that had other patrons glaring at her. She whispered an apology and turned to her new seatmate.

"Hiei?" It was indeed the little youkai. He looked slightly out of sorts. His eyes were droopy and his clothes looked like he'd been sleeping in them. "Hiei, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She noticed how raspy his voice was. "I was just wondering . . . Could I . . Hold the baby?"

"Of course." She carefully picked up Nobu and put him in the koorime's arms. Instantly that feeling of peace swept over him and he seriously considered stealing the baby. Then he looked up and saw her smiling at him. No one had ever smiled at him like that, with so much liking it melted his insides. It made its way past the carefully constructed walls of ice and struck his heart.

She'd smiled at him that way before, in the park that day. And she'd let him hold the baby. Without hesitation. She'd done something nobody had ever done before. She'd trusted him.

"So, Hiei, what's wrong?" She interrupted his thoughts. He smiled hesitantly. She also knew when he was lying. Baka ningen onna.

"My Imouto-san was hurt today. She hasn't woken up yet. Kurama's doing what he can for her, but I needed some air. That Kuwabaka wouldn't shut up."

"That's too bad, Hiei. I hope she's alright. Shuichi will take care of her, I'm sure." She told him, trying to be reassuring and knowing it wasn't working. She reached out and patted his shoulder. Hiei froze. Being touched was something he wasn't used to.

"Sorry, Hiei." She quickly removed her hand. He sighed. She even read his body language. It wasn't fair. He'd never met a girl like her before. And he was defenseless. He sighed.

"So how've you been? We haven't seen you since . . . . " he stopped, unsure if she wanted to talk about it.

"Since my parents died. I suppose I'm alright. I'm sorry I Haven't been around but for about two weeks I didn't talk to anybody, then I was busy with the Custody hearing and stuff."

"It's alright. Kurama missed you, is all." The koorime would never admit to missing her himself. He wouldn't admit that he couldn't get her out of his head. Girls didn't affect him. Not Hiei Jaganshi. No way. But still, there was that trust.


	5. We are both Forbidden Children

-1Hiei stood in the tree outside Kurama's window, watching the sun go down. Another day had come to a close and they still hadn't found her. Koenma couldn't even find her. Kurama continued to search, asking his contacts in the Makai.

It had been a year since he'd seen Faith and Nobu in the library that day. They'd started visiting, talking, becoming friends. She seemed to know him, and he knew he loved her. He watched the last streaks of bright orange and pink fade from the sky, and he remembered the last time he'd seen her.

_The movie was over and they were walking home, Kurama walking ahead with his date, a girl from school named Akiko. Hiei walked beside Faith, who was a bit nervous. She still wasn't used to leaving Nobu home with a sitter, even though he was two now._

_He didn't know what prompted him to do it, but he did it. He reached over and took her hand. She smiled at him shyly. She'd been worried all throughout the movie, she said, and hadn't been able to concentrate. He'd reassured her as best he could, and when they got back to his apartment, he'd walked her inside. He waited while she paid the sitter and checked on her brother, showed the girl out._

_When she returned, Hiei stood by the window, unlocking it. The window was his preferred exit, always, and she even understood that. Normally it was open, but the sitter probably closed it to keep Nobu warm. His hands were slightly chilled, as it was late autumn, and they hadn't been able to work the latch properly. She came up behind him and, instead of undoing the latch, took his hands between her own and rubbed them, warming them._

_He surprised himself by letting her do it. He'd let her touch him before, and found that he didn't mind so much when it was her. He found himself leaning back into her embrace slowly and her arms closed around him. She let her head rest on his shoulder and tilted it so that it rested against his. For a moment he didn't know what to do, then he turned his head slightly and found that she had done the same. His scarlet eyes stared into her bright violet ones for a moment, and then, without giving himself a chance to back out, he closed the space between them, his mouth pressed against hers and he realized he was in love. _

_The kiss only lasted a few seconds because Kurama yelled for him. He pulled away and smiled at her. She stood with her fingers pressed to her lips, watching him. When she saw him smile, she smiled back. She pulled the window open and he leapt up onto the sill._

_"Good night, Spikey." She whispered. He reached out and brushed a stray hair out of her face._

_"Good night." He leapt down out of the tree._

Now he stood with his fingers to his lips in that selfsame gesture, remembering the softness of her lips against his, and the warmth of her body against his. Her voice as she said goodnight, soft and shy, but pretty.

The next day they learned that she and Nobu were gone. The house they lived in was a disaster area, a bad sign when the housekeeper was Faith, who was really picky when it came to cleaning. Everything in the house was destroyed and there was blood everywhere. Inscribed in blood on the wall in the nursery, directly above the crib, was a message.

**I Have The Child, The Scion Of Faith. **

Hiei had never heard of The Scion of Faith, but Koenma said that they would have to find Faith, and ask her. She was alive. Hiei knew she was. He looked down at his wrist. Hanging from it was the sword charm Faith used to summon her Ofuda. Kurama had found it in the wreckage and dropped it in his hand.

They'd been searching for seven months now, and he knew the others had basically given up. But he wouldn't, because she hadn't given up on him. He'd been cold and closed off and pushed her away as much as he could, but she refused to let him. No matter what cruel things he said, or how distant he was, she had been hard headed and stubborn and refused to let him keep her out. He'd asked her why once. The answer was not what he'd expected at all.

_"What's wrong with you, you Baka Onna!?! Why do you refuse to leave me alone!?! Why can't you be scared of me like everyone else!?!" He yelled, frustrated. _

_She stared at him silently, enduring his crimson glare. When she said nothing, Hiei threw a punch at her. It wasn't a hard punch, it wasn't intended to hurt her. He expected her to move, or hit him back, but she just stood there and let him hit her. He hit her again and again and she just let him do it. _

_Finally, he collapsed to his knees and she knelt in front of him, wrapping her arms around him. There was no pity in her embrace. She didn't feel sorry for him. She only felt compassion for the Forbidden Child._

_"I can't leave you alone, Hiei. I can't let you live with so much pain inside you. I think I can reach you. And I want to, because ever since I saw you in the cemetery that day, I can't forget the look in your eyes when you saw me crying. I can't forget the compassion I saw there. _

_Because we are both Forbidden Children, Hiei. My parents weren't supposed to fall in love, marry, have children. He was black and she was white and their families didn't like it, but they did anyway. And then, I was named Faith, because Mother said that I was the symbol of her faith that everything would work out."  
_

She was her parents symbol of faith, and she had slowly become his. He had faith that she was alive, that they would find her, and Nobu. Until they did, He hoped she had faith in him, that he would come for her. He studied the charm in his hand.

"Have a little Faith, Onna. I will find you." He whispered, looking up as the window behind him crashed opened and Kurama was there.

"Hiei! We found her!"


	6. My Onna

-1Hiei bolted after Kurama, but Yusuke stopped him before he could go in. "Hiei, it's not pretty, man."

"Urameshi, get out of my way!" He shouted, pushing past him and into the room. She lay on Kurama's bed. Yusuke had been right, it wasn't pretty. There were intricate scars all over her body, some of them still bloody.

He reached out and gently touched her hand. Then he pulled it back quickly. She felt different. She wasn't all ningen anymore. His Onna was a hanyou. A half-demon. His fist clenched. To make a ningen into a hanyou was extremely painful, and it wasn't really allowed.

It was almost a week before she awoke. Hiei stayed near her bedside the entire time, interacting only with Kurama. She woke on Friday, when there was rain falling steadily down, flooding the streets and blocking out the sun. Hiei, although he would never tell anyone, felt the weather reflected his heart that day, sad and dark, waiting for sun.

"Nobu!"

The yell jerked Hiei awake. He looked up to see Faith sitting bolt upright in the bed, hands tightly clutching the blanket. Her knuckles were dead white. He reached out and touched her hand.

"Onna?" He whispered softly, not wanting to startle her. She turned at the sound of his voice. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes empty and cold. Then they filled with tears and she threw herself into his arms.

"Hiei." She buried her face in his shoulder. Hiei stood still for a moment, then slowly wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she sobbed. He let his cheek rest against the top of her head and gently stroked her hair.

After some time, Hiei tilted her head up so he could see her face. He used his thumb to gently wipe away the tear sliding down her cheek, leaving behind a damp trail. Her hands clutched the fabric of his cloak tightly. He placed a gentle kiss in the middle of her forehead.

"Hush, Onna. It will be okay. We will find him. I swear it." He murmured softly. She nodded and slipped back into the Youkai's embrace. His arms tightened around her and he closed his eyes, feeling her burrow her face into his neck. Kami, he had missed her.

He picked her up and carried her back to the bed, tucking her in. Then, as he turned to return to his chair, she grabbed his hand. He turned back and she pulled him over to sit on the edge of the bed. She slid her arms around him, resting her head in his lap. A few moments later she was asleep again.

Several hours later she woke again. Hiei smiled at her tentatively. She smiled back. Then she laid her head back down. Hiei ran his hands through her hair.

"Onna, tell me what happened to you." he asked quietly. She turned to look up at him. "It's not pretty, Hiei."

The koorime chuckled. "Yusuke said the exact same thing earlier, before I came in to see you. He said what happened to you wasn't pretty. Strange, you looked beautiful to me."

Faith blushed. She knew he didn't talk much, and compliments were very rare. He never said anything unless he meant it, and felt it needed to be said. He was very sincere.

Hiei noticed her blush and chuckled wryly. She made him say such strange things. Things he would never say in a million years to anyone else. The funny thing was, he wouldn't take them back, and he would probably say more, just to see her blush. He brushed a piece of stray hair out of her face and smiled at her.

"Onna, the story." He reminded her gently, causing her to blush even more. She stopped fighting the blush with a sigh and closed her eyes, remembering.

_"Good night, Spikey." She whispered. He reached out and brushed a stray hair out of her face._

_"Good night." He leapt down out of the tree. _

_She had her fingers pressed to her lips as she closed and latched the window. It had been her first kiss. She leaned against the closed window and sighed. She was so hopelessly, helplessly in love. And it was with that irascible youkai. _

_She got up and went to check on Nobu. When she flicked on the light in his room, she saw a tall woman with deep black hair and wearing an emerald gown that clung tightly in all the right places._

_"Envy! Put him down!" She yelled, whipping an Ofuda out of her pocket. She tried to move her arm up to invoke her sword charm, but found that she couldn't move. Her hands were held down by firm, muscled hands and a voice laughed in her ear._

_"Did you miss me, Faith?" He breathed in her ear, making her shiver involuntarily. "L-lust." He chuckled to himself, hearing the fear in her voice. Then he slipped the charm off her wrist, dropping it to the floor. _

_"Lets go, you two. You can play with her later. Time is money, you know." Said a skinny man wearing dozens of jingling money pouches around his waist._

_"Greed!" She recognized him. The little man offered her a cold smile._

_"It's nothing personal, Faith. Just business, of course."_

_"Right." She spat. Greed was a mercenary who would fight for anyone who paid him enough. Suddenly an animal -like creature burst from the shadows, slashing her across the chest. As she fell to her knees she heard a deep voice call, "Wrath! No!"_

"_Dammit, Pride, Can't you keep a handle on him!?!" Yelled another voice, high pitched and squeaky._

_"I'd like to see you manage him, Gluttony!" The deep voice of pride answered._

_Faith closed her eyes. All Seven Cardinal Sins. They must really be afraid of her, to send this group. Then Wrath attacked her again and she lost consciousness._

_The time after that was a blur. She remembered very little. She was raped numerous times by Lust, beaten often by Wrath and Pride, and she had no idea what they'd done with Nobu, although she asked whenever anyone came to her._

She was crying now. Hiei held her tightly. How hard it must have been to talk about that. He gently traced a spiral-shaped scar on her arm.

"And now . . . Now I'm ugly . . . " She sobbed, making Hiei laugh. She glared up at him, then started to laugh herself as she realized how stupid that statement was. After a few moments the laughter died down and Faith sat up, hugging the koorime. He pressed his lips to her cheek. "My Onna, you are beautiful to me." He whispered.


	7. The Truth about Nobu

-1Several days later, Faith was up and about. She repeated her story to the other spirit Detectives and waited for the question she was dreading. It was Yusuke who asked it.

"How do you know the Seven Cardinal Sins, Faith?" Yusuke asked casually, as if inquiring about the weather. Kurama jumped to her defense immediately.

"It's because she's the Scion of Faith, of course."

"Where did you get that idea?" She asked the kitsune.

"The writing on the wall above the crib, Faith. Who else would the scion be?" Kurama explained. Faith sighed and sat down, wishing she could have Hiei's arms around her. But her beloved youkai didn't seem to like being affectionate in front of others. He was wonderful to her when they were alone though.

Koenma moved in front of her. He knelt down and took her chin in his hand. "Faith, we need to know as much as you can tell us if we want to find Nobu."

She nodded. She knew that. She just didn't want to tell it. However, she squared her shoulders and closed her eyes, looking at the floor as she spoke.

"I-I've never told anyone this story. Even my parents thought he was my brother because I altered their memories. But he's not my brother. Nobu is my son."

She waited a moment to let that sink in. There were gasps around the room. Her eyes raised for only a moment, to seek out another pair. Hiei stood across the room, leaning against the wall. His eyes bored into hers. He seemed to be reserving judgment, however. He nodded to her, encouraging her to continue. She took a deep breath.

"His father was the previous Scion of Faith. He was a demon by the name of Azazil. He was cruel and sadistic. He found me alone a year and a half ago and pinned me to the wall. He was strong. Very strong. I couldn't get away. He raped me there." She buried her face in her hands, unable to continue for the moment. The room was silent. After a few moments, she pulled herself together and continued.

"When I discovered I was pregnant, I was miserable. I hated myself. I wanted to die. I actually killed myself. But Enma-Ousama told me I had to come back, because my baby was to be the Scion of Faith, and I was to be his guardian. That's when I got my Ofuda."

"A month later I had my first run-in with the Seven Cardinal Sins. They were sent by Azazil. He wanted to raise Nobu up to be his heir. Evil, cold and cruel. I couldn't let that happen, and Enma- Ousama told me to protect him from Azazil. So I fought them with my Ofuda. I think I surprised them by how quickly I gained control of the things. I've run into them several times since then. And they've got Nobu now. And taken him straight to Azazil. I've failed."

A hand rested on her shoulder and a soft voice murmured in her ear. "We all mess up from time to time, Faith." Kurama told her. "The important thing is not to give up when things look bad. We'll get him back."

She nodded, but said nothing. Everyone else in the room was silent. After a while she couldn't stand it. She got up and walked out to the small deck in the back and leaned on the rail. A few moments later she knew she wasn't alone. A hand touched hers, then grasped it and pulled her around. Hiei planted a gentle, but fierce kiss on her mouth. When he pulled away she stared at him, eyes wide.

"Onna, I saw you, peeking at me, looking for my approval. Did you think I would be angry with you for something a demon did to you?"

"I'm sorry, Hiei. I just haven't been feeling like myself lately." She told him, slipping into his embrace and letting her head rest on his chest.

"Maybe you need to have a little faith in me, Onna. You're the only one who ever has. Don't let that faith die. It means too much to me." He told her, leaning up and kissing her again.

"What the . . ." Yusuke was quickly silenced by a hand over his mouth. He look up questioningly at the kitsune who gagging him.

"Don't ruin this for him, Yusuke. He really loves her, and he's never loved before, not like this. I've never heard him speak like that to anyone. Ever. She's teaching him to believe in her, and in himself. She's given him something to live for."

Yusuke nodded and Kurama released him. They stood there for a little while, watching the pair. It was very romantic. After a moment Yusuke felt a hand slip into his and he looked up at the fox, who gave him an affectionate, questioning look, as if to say 'Please?' Yusuke stepped over and slipped an arm around the kitsune's waist. He leaned into Kurama's shoulder as the taller boy's arm slipped around him.

Faith sighed and Hiei looked at her questioningly. She smiled at him. "I'm alright. I just with this could last."

"Why wouldn't it last?" Hiei demanded, confused. She shrugged.

"Hiei, I'm a single mom guarding a child wanted by the Cardinal Sins. You don't need a child in your life, especially one that's not yours. You're much too busy. It's okay."

He took a step back from her and stared at her disbelievingly. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "So much for having faith in me."

"Hiei, I do have faith in you. I just . . ." 

"You think I'm just playing with you until we get the baby back? Is that really what you think of me? That I'm just around until things get hard and then I'll move on? Onna, you won't get rid of me that easily, understand? I'm completely aware that you two come as a package deal and I'm willing to accept that. In fact, I look forward to it. I'm not losing you to your fear!"

Faith stared at him. She'd never heard him speak so passionately. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks. Hiei saw the tears and his expression softened. He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her close. He kissed away her tears and then murmured the words he'd thought he'd never speak.

"Onna . . . . . I love you."


	8. No Regrets

-1Faith woke feeling pressure over her chest and left side. She opened her eyes and glanced over. Then she smiled. Hiei slept pressed up against her, one arm slung over her chest either possessively, or protectively, she wasn't sure which. She decided she didn't care and snuggled up to him, remembering the events of the night before.

_"Onna . . . I love you."_

_She stared at him as his ruby eyes stared back, terrified. The silence stretched out between them until she broke it._

_"Hiei . . ." _

_The Koorime instantly turned away, "It's alright, Onna . . ."_

_"Hiei!" she grabbed his arm and he turned back. "What I was going to say is, this isn't the place to be discussing this."_

_Then she dragged him inside, down a corridor and through a door, into her room._

_"Hiei, I love you too." She said quickly, before she lost her nerve. His eyes widened, then he smiled at her and drew her in, kissing her deeply. She reached behind her and latched her door as his kisses became more passionate. They stumbled backward and fell onto the bed, then spent the night in fervent lovemaking._

She smiled to herself as she traced the outlines of his peacefully sleeping face. She'd never been in love before. He'd been so caring and tender, nothing like when Lust had taken her. He'd been rough, and cruel. Hiei was loving and gentle. She let her head rest against his and went to sleep again.

Later she was awoken by a loud banging on the door and a voice yelling her name. She frantically pulled on the first piece of clothing she found and rushed to answer the door. She pulled it open to reveal Yusuke, who gawked at her.

"Yusuke, what . ." A redhead peered around the corner. His face went red and he averted his eyes.

"Uhhh . . . Faith . . . You might wanna . . . Uhhh . ."He gestured at her and she looked down. She'd pulled on Hiei's shirt, and her red silk panties were plainly visible. Just then there was a low growl from inside the room.

"Urameshi, put your eyes back in your head. Tell us what you came to tell us, and then go away." Hiei glared menacingly at him from within Faith's blankets. Yusuke's eyes widened, he turned crimson and started sputtering. Kurama yanked him away from the door.

"Err, get dressed, you two, and meet us in the living room." He then chose to flee, whether from the sight of Faith wearing so little, or from Hiei's murderous glare, she wasn't sure. She sighed and shut the door, turning back to Hiei, who was now sitting up, half covered.

She leaned against the door and studied him. When they'd first met, there had literally been lightning between them. She just hadn't realized what it meant. As her eyes trailed from the white starburst in the middle of his jet black hair, down his adorable baby face, sitting proudly on strong shoulders and a muscled chest, to the beginning of a deep black treasure trail on his corded stomach, she smiled. He loved her.

"Onna?" She was startled out of her thoughts by the subject of her scrutiny, who was looking at her oddly.

"Yes, Hiei?" she walked over and sat down next to him. He drew her into his arms and pulled her down on the bed, kissing her. She returned the kiss with unbridled passion. That kiss said what both of them had been wondering. There were no regrets.

Several minutes later, Hiei pulled away and smiled at her. She smiled back at him.

"We'd better get dressed and go out there, Onna. I swear by Kami, this had better be good, or I will ram my kitana up Urameshi's backside." He threatened, making her laugh, although she privately agreed. She had been comfortable when he'd interrupted them.

She sat up and pulled off his shirt, passing it to him. Then she walked over to her closet and pulled out a denim overall skirt and a teal blouse, which she put on with stockings. When she turned back, he was watching her. She smiled at him.

"You look . . . . very . . . pretty, Onna." The words came haltingly and he tried again. " You look very pretty, Onna."

She smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, Hiei. Are you ready?" He nodded and she opened the door. As he passed her, his hand slipped into hers tentatively, and she squeezed it, making him smile. She remembered that he was new to romance and, as she smiled at him, her Koorime, her Lover, her Friend, her True Love, she knew she could be patient with him.

Out in the living room, they were greeted by a grinning Yusuke, a blushing Kurama, a smirking Koenma, and a confused looking Kuwabaka . . . Er . . . Kuwabara. Faith took a brief moment to wonder how they all got inside her house, then remembered who she was dealing with. She sat down on the couch and Hiei stood behind her, letting one hand rest on her shoulder.

"What is it, Koenma?" She asked the Spirit King, hoping to distract him from what Yusuke had obviously told him. The royal toddler cleared his throat.

"Right. Yes. Business. Faith, we've found Nobu."

"You have? Really?" She demanded excitedly. Koenma nodded.

"We leave for the Makai immediately." There were several throat clearings around the room. "Err, right after Shiori, Keiko and Yukina are informed."

She laughed. She wanted to change as well. Her skirt wasn't really appropriate for the Makai. They made arrangements to meet up in an hour and everyone left. She and Hiei were left alone again.

She leaned over and kissed him, then told him to find something to eat while she changed. He headed into the kitchen, knowing she had waffles and chocolate syrup, his favorite breakfast.

Alone in her room, Faith took a quick shower in her small, ensuite bathroom and put on her 'Demon slayer' outfit. Black jeans and a black sleeveless tummy top. Then she brushed her hair so it fell down her back in long brown waves and pulled on her black leather boots. Into the top of each boot she put a dagger, then shuriken into the pockets up her thigh. She tugged on black leather gloves and tucked her Ofuda into her back pocket.

Then she headed out to the kitchen, where Hiei was in the process of eating a stack of six waffles drowning in Nestlé's Chocolate sauce. His jaw dropped as she entered.

"Onna . . . . You look . ."

"Hot. You look hot, Faith." Yusuke slung an arm around her, but removed it after a growl from Hiei. The others had returned. A few minutes later they were in the Makai.


	9. The Black Ofuda

-1The Makai was a hot and dusty place. Faith held her hand up to shield her face from the blazing sun. On one side of her Hiei walked, staying cool by virtue of the crystal tear his sister had given him. On her other side, Kurama and Yusuke walked hand in hand. Strangely enough, no one saw fit to question this.

It wasn't long before they came to an immense castle. It had a very slipshod construction, like it had just been a square building and assorted inhabitants had simply added on to it over the centuries. Faith had the distinct impression that if she tapped it in the right place, the entire thing would tumble to the ground.

They had decided just to go in and take the boy back, although Hiei observed that if Azazil happened to die in the course of the rescue, he wouldn't be too upset. They walked up to the ostentatious iron double door and Faith and Yusuke looked at each other, nodded and together executed a flying kick that absolutely shattered the door. Faith then just marched through the hall to the throne room. Around her, the Spirit Detectives were systematically killing demons left and right. Finally they entered the throne room.

"Mama!" There was a childlike scream from across the room. A small boy had jumped to his feet and attempted to run to her, but had been prevented by a large scaly hand grasping his arm. Attached to this arm was a tall, scaly demon. He was a bright, fiery red with intricate black tattoos that began on his forehead and covered his entire body.

"Faith. How nice to see you again." His voice was soft, and reminded Hiei distinctly of a hissing snake. 'Well', Hiei thought, 'I know how to deal with snakes.' The small demon drew his kitana from its sheath at his side. Instantly a blade was pressed to his throat.

"Oh, isn't this your new demon lover, Faith? What did Lust say his name was? Oh, yes, Hiei." He looked the smaller demon up and down. "Is he out of diapers yet?"

Hiei growled. He did not appreciate the short jokes. He bit down on the hand holding the blade to his throat. When it's owner yelped and pulled away, he swung, cutting off his head. Then he turned his attention to Azazil.

"Release the child, and perhaps I'll allow you to live. Although that's not particularly likely."

"Threats, is it? I'm afraid I don't take kindly to threats. Sins! Take them!" Azazil snapped his fingers.

The Seven Deadly Sins appeared in a ring of smoke, surrounding them. Greed, with his jingling money pouches. Pride, tall and hawk like. Lust, the epitome of male beauty. Envy, emerald gown clinging to her in all the right places. Gluttony, round and red faced. Wrath, chain held in Pride's hand. Sloth, leaning lazily on Lust's shoulder.

Instantly everyone took up defense positions. Hiei shoved Faith into the middle of the circle they formed, backs to the center. Greed laughed and gestured. The Sins closed in, unsheathing blades, whips, claws and whatever weapon they preferred.

Hiei leapt forward, slashing with incredible speed. His object, his prey, was Lust. He sliced his kitana through the air, five, six, seven times. Then he landed. Lust began to laugh. Then he fell. In eight pieces. Hiei smirked and leapt back into the fray.

Yusuke found himself facing Pride and Wrath. He made a fist and threw the punch, yelling "Spirit Gun!" A blast of yellow light erupted from his fist, obliterating the pair. He turned back to the fight.

Kurama faced Envy, a truly beautiful adversary. He ran a hand threw his hair and pulled out a single red rose. Envy laughed. "Flower Power, Mighty Kurama?" He gave her his politest smile and flung his hand out. "Rose Whip Slash!" Her laugh ceased when her head separated from her body. He too returned to the battle.

Faith went for Greed, whipping her Ofuda from her pocket. He watched her warily. She knew why. They had tangled before. There was one little slip of paper he feared. The only one made on black paper. She held up her sword, tossing up a piece of paper. It appeared to be white. Greed laughed. "Fool. That was your only chance of . ."

"Kana Boukyaku!" The white slip fell away to reveal the black one underneath. A dark circle appeared and grew larger, swallowing Greed, then Gluttony and Sloth, who were unable to run from it. The portal closed and Faith dropped to her knees.

"Mama!" The child screamed again, breaking away from his father and running to her. She pulled him into her arms.

"Nobu . . . .Oh, Nobu."

"You will not betray me, Boy!" Azazil fired an immense beam of energy at the child. The fighters were blinded by the bright light as it collided with the kneeling and unprotected pair. There was a scream, then the light faded.


	10. Have Faith in me

-1The light faded to reveal Nobu pushed to the side. His mother stood in front of him, having blocked the blast with her own body. She tottered on the spot, but managed to raise her sword. She tossed the Black Ofuda into the air one more, focusing the last of her Spirit Energy and Life Energy into this.

"Kana Boukyaku!" The black void appeared again. It reached out black tendrils to wrap around the demon king, pulling him into it's gaping maw. He screamed once as the black whole sealed.

Faith crumpled to the floor. Instantly Hiei was kneeling at her side. He lifted her into his arms and her eyelids fluttered, then opened.

"Hiei . . ." She breathed his name. He grasped her hand and she drew it over her heart.

"Hush, Onna. Don't talk. You'll be okay." He begged her, even though in his mind he already knew the truth. She shook her head.

" Hiei . . ." Her hand rose to touch his cheek, then fell back against the cold earth. Hiei stared at her for a moment, then turned his face skyward and let out a devastatingly haunting cry of irrevocable loss. For once, as tears slid down the koorime's pale cheeks for the first time in centuries, not even Kurama had any words of comfort.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Faith was gone. Azazil was swallowed by nothing. Nobu, Scion of Faith, ruled his fathers people with honor and justice. Yusuke and Kurama were an official item now. Hiei was alone. His life seemed empty and pointless now that she was gone. He sat in the tree outside her window, waiting while the others cleaned the apartment and packed her things together for her son. He touched the sword pendant he now wore around his neck, next to his crystal tear.

Just then there was a tap on the window and Yusuke opened it. Hiei didn't look at him.

"Hiei, man, come in here for a minute." the punk held the window open for him. Hiei sighed and jumped through the window. Kurama stood in the middle of the room, her bedroom, holding a piece of paper. He held this out to the youkai, who opened it.

_**Hiei,**_

_**Ten to one you blame yourself for my death, but don't. I was ready for it before we ever left the house. I wrote this because I wanted to say a few things to you in case I died, because I knew you wouldn't listen to me if I tried to say them when I was alive. Stubborn koorime.**_

_**I want you to know how much I love you, Hiei. You made me forget, and you always thought I was beautiful. Now, listen to me carefully, okay? Keep your honesty. Never lie to people. Trust is important. Even if your truth comes with insults and clever banter. Keep loving chocolate. It's a vegetable, you know. **_

_**Stick with your friends, they care about you ,and tell your sister the truth, understand me? She will love you no matter what you are. I'm sorry I was never able to meet her but I know she must be a wonderful woman. You love her so much.**_

_**Look in on my baby from time to time, please. If he can have a bunch of demon uncles, I know he'll be alright.**_

_**And if it survived the fight, Hiei, I want you to have my sword. Wear it and always remember to Have A Little Faith, in your friends, in your family, and in yourself.**_

_**Stay brave, Spikey, and stay you.**_

_**All my Love, **_

_**Faith**_

Hiei looked up and the smallest of smiles crept across him face. He tucked the letter into his pocket and touched his shirt where the sword lay against his chest.

'_Have faith in me, Onna. As long as you have faith in me, I'll be fine.'_


End file.
